Prime Minister Anutin declared this is a "moment to invest in Thailand," building confidence among French investors. He emphasized Thailand's potential as a gateway to ASEAN and attracted investment in the EEC, clean energy, and AI sectors.
On 25 May 2026 at 09:00 local time (five hours behind Thailand) at Salon Foch, 1st Floor, Le Cercle de l’Union interalliée, Paris, Republic of France, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul held discussions with the French Employers’ Association (MEDEF International) and delivered a keynote speech at the "Exclusive Meeting with the Prime Minister of Thailand" event. Mr. François Corbin, Vice President of MEDEF International and Chairman of the French-Thai Business Council, along with representatives from over 38 private sector companies from MEDEF International attended.
After the event, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that the Prime Minister was pleased with the strong interest from leading French companies and business leaders, reflecting the confidence of the French private sector in Thailand. She said this is a crucial moment, a "moment to invest in Thailand," highlighting Thailand’s potential as a key gateway to ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region.
France is Thailand's fourth largest trading partner within the European Union. In 2025, bilateral trade was nearly €4.2 billion. Over the past five years, the Board of Investment (BOI) received investment promotion applications from nearly 100 French companies, totaling more than €725 million.
Key points the Prime Minister addressed to investors include:
1. Inviting French private sector investment in Thailand, especially in new industries such as clean and renewable energy, transportation infrastructure, aviation and aircraft maintenance (MRO), advanced manufacturing and biotechnologies, digital industries, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, electric vehicles (EV), and advanced battery technologies.
2. Assuring that Thailand offers world-class infrastructure, integrated logistics systems, a skilled workforce, strong supply chains, and a business environment conducive to investment. Incentives, particularly in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), are fully supported by the government, positioning the EEC as a hub for advanced industries and modern technology to support future industry and long-term technology cooperation.
3. Thailand is progressing toward clean energy transition, facilitating investor access to renewable energy. The Thailand FastPass project expedites strategic investment approvals and licensing significantly. Thailand’s strengths include competitive costs, skilled personnel, strong local partners, and access as a gateway to ASEAN markets of over 700 million people and broader Asian markets.
4. Promoting Thai-French relations toward a "strategic partnership." The ongoing Thai-EU free trade agreement negotiations will create new opportunities for deeper cooperation. Additionally, Thailand’s process of joining the OECD demonstrates its commitment to elevating legal standards to international levels across all sectors.
At the conclusion, the Prime Minister welcomed and is ready to receive the MEDEF International delegation visiting Thailand in June. They will follow up on today's discussions and collaborations to strengthen the Thai-French economic partnership. Senior executives from MEDEF also showed interest in government policies and key approaches, including transport development, the clean energy transition, workforce skills promotion, and using advanced technology for heritage conservation and cultural promotion.
The breakfast discussion participants included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) Yossapon Wongsa-wat, Minister of Culture Sabida Thaiset, and the Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI).
